Integrative Health Blog

Oftentimes, when I have clients that are looking for strategies to stop sugar cravings, I realize that they’re looking for some “magical tip or trick”. They want to hear that some fascinating new berry was discovered deep in the Amazon rainforest that promises to stop sugar cravings the instant it’s ingested.

In their mind, the sugar cravings become the enemy and they’re looking for the silver bullet that will strike those pesky cravings dead in their tracks.

But allow me for a moment to attempt to shift your perception.

What if those annoying cravings were actually a GOOD thing?

What if they were sent as messengers? (No, not messengers telling you to pig-out on donuts, but messengers to let you know your body needs something in order to be healthy, lose those extra pounds, and rev up your energy.)

What if, instead of sabotaging your health and weight loss efforts, they were sent to enhance your efforts to get fit and slim down?

Well, I have good news for you. This is exactly what’s happening. When you experience a sugar craving it’s your body’s way of sending you a message that it needs something else in order to get the body you deserve: healthy, slim and energized.

Here’s the bonus: when your body gets what it needs to be healthy, it will stop sending out the sweet cravings!

HIDDEN MESSAGE #1: Your body needs water.

Unfortunately, your body won't send the message that you are thirsty until you are on the verge of dehydration. If you’ve allowed yourself to get really dehydrated, your body might signal you by sending out a sugar craving, or other strange food cravings for that matter.

So the first thing to do when you get the urge for sweets is to drink a full glass of water and then wait at least twenty minutes before you indulge your sweet tooth. It might be hard, but find something else in life that makes you happy without the sugar. It could be going for a walk, calling a friend, throwing on your favorite music and dancing like a wild woman.... do whatever it takes to get through those next trying minutes and viola! Your sugar cravings often times will just vanish!

ACTION STEP: Pay close attention to how much water you’re drinking on a regular basis and be sure to keep well hydrated. If a sugar craving strikes, drink a large glass of water and then find some way to distract yourself until it subsides.

HIDDEN MESSAGE #2: Your body needs nutrients.

Sadly, I have clients that come to me, thinking they’re eating a really good diet because they’re having fat-free this, or low-cal that, but in essence they’re eating some of the most nutrient depleted, contaminated foods on the planet. And no matter how healthy my clients think the foods they’re consuming are, if they lack nutrients, the body will wind up in deficit.

If there’s a deficit, and you don’t have enough nutrients to power up your system and create the energy you need to get through your day, your body will turn to whatever quick fix it can find to solve it's energy shortage. Leading the list for quick fixes: sugar.

In order for your body to be able to get rid of it's band-aid solution, (using sugar instead of nutrients) you've got to solve the real problem, making sure you're eating a really clean, nutrient dense, organic whole foods diet.

Ok, that sounds harsh, and it’s not exactly what I mean anyhow. A better way to put it would be:

“You need an upgrade to your life”.

Oftentimes when people are dissatisfied with their lives they turn to food for comfort, pleasure, and enjoyment. Dissatisfaction with relationships, not getting proper exercise (too much, too little or the wrong type of workout) being unhappy with their job, being bored in general, getting too stressed out or a lack of spiritual connection can lead to emotional eating.

It’s important to recognize when you’re using food as a means to distract yourself, fill an empty void, or entertain yourself because your life is not as fulfilling as it could be.

ACTION STEP: When a sugar craving strikes try to dig deeper into what’s really going on. Are you eating because you’re bored? Are you sitting in your apartment, alone, longing for connection and interaction, but turning to ice cream and pie instead? Look for a healthier solution like calling a friend, or joining a local social group such as ones listed on www.meetup.com

When we begin to view our sugar cravings as messengers sent to guide us to better health, we can begin to embrace the journey to health instead of fighting it tooth and nail, screaming and kicking the whole way. Follow the steps as specified and learn to look deeper into your healing process.

When you learn to give your body what it needs, the sugar cravings will subside, quickly, easily and in a manner that will become effortless to you.